


five times peter parker was a good friend to the avengers

by parkersmcu



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Gen, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker is a Good Bro, Peter Parker says shit, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Natasha Romanov, Rated T for swearing, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, The Avengers are a big happy family, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22874503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkersmcu/pseuds/parkersmcu
Summary: ...and the one time the avengers were a good friend to him.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff & Peter Parker
Comments: 36
Kudos: 586





	1. Steve

Steve had been having a rough couple of days. 

Sleep had been nowhere in sight for the super-soldier. It didn't matter how long he had been awake or what he had done during the day, he just couldn't let his eyes close. So he trained. 

When he wasn't in the training room, he was outside running. When he wasn't doing those two things, he was cooking in the kitchen or trying to find a good book to read. 

In all honesty, he really just wanted someone to talk to. 

The compound had been very empty over the past week. Natasha and Clint were off God knows where for a mission with SHIELD somewhere in Europe. Sam was in D.C. working with some war vet groups. Vision and Wanda were… in all honesty, he didn't know where they had run off too. And Tony and Rhodey were visiting Malibu. 

The peace and quiet were nice for the first day, but now, he thought he was going crazy. It was around 3 in the afternoon when he got a text from Tony. 

_Hey, just wanted to give you a heads up that the spider-child will be making an appearance at the compound this afternoon after school. He's staying there for the weekend, but I should be back by Saturday around lunch. Hope he doesn't cause you too much trouble._

Steve chuckled at his phone. The only thing that Peter could ever cause trouble in doing would be talking his ear off or climbing on the ceiling when Tony has told him that it is off-limits. 

Steve typed back, _got it, I'll try to keep him out of trouble._

An hour later, he heard the familiar footsteps of Tony's mentee entering the common room. 

"Oh, Mr. Rogers, sir, what's up? Mr. Stark said that you would be here, that's awesome!" Peter exclaimed while heading to the kitchen to get his usual afterschool snack. 

"Peter, I told you a hundred times, call me Steve." 

Peter laughed nervously. "Right, yeah, sorry Mr.—I mean, Steve." Peter pulled a bag of chips out of the pantry and began to eat some, asking, "So, what do you wanna do today? Happy told me that the compound is basically empty."

Steve shrugged. "You up for a little training session?" He knew that this would get the kid excited. 

Peter scoffed. "Uh, duh. You're on." Putting up the chips and heading for the training room, he didn't hesitate to yell over his shoulder, "Gotta keep up, old man!" 

Laughing, Steve followed the teenager to the training room. 

  
*****

  
Training was exhausting but good. In reality, Peter is Steve's only real competition when it comes to training, and he always keeps him on his toes. 

They were in the living room now, finishing off their pizza for dinner and watching a movie that Peter had been raving about. Then, the sound of Peter's phone rang. 

"Hey, Mr. Stark! I'm putting you on speaker. I'm with Steve, by the way."

Steve hears Tony scoff through the phone and can practically see his facial expression now. "You're calling him Steve, but you won't call me Tony? Wow, kid. Anyway, just wanted to check in on you." 

Peter beamed. "Oh, today had been awesome, Mr. Stark. Steve and I trained and now we are inhaling pizza and watching a movie." Steve couldn't help but chuckle at the enthusiasm of the teenager. 

"Well, kid, don't stay up too late. I'll be back around lunch tomorrow, and we've got a full day in the lab ahead of us."

Peter rolled his eyes. " _Okay, Dad_."

"Ha-ha." Tony deadpanned. "Seriously kid, go to bed and stay out of Steve's hair. I'll see you tomorrow. 

"Good night, Mr. Stark!" Peter hung up the phone and immediately yawned. 

"Yep, Tony's right. Bedtime."

Peter stood up and stretched. "Yeah, training really wore me out today. And it was a pretty rough week at school. You sure you don't care?"

"Of course not, kid. Get some rest, and we can train tomorrow before Tony gets back." 

Peter grinned. "Y—yeah sounds awesome, Steve. Goodnight!"

Steve watches Peter walk to his bedroom and smiles. Everything about him reminds Steve so much of himself before the war, before everything changed. Heading to his own bedroom, he hopes for a night of sleep that he knows will most likely not come. 

*****

It's 4 a.m. Steve has slept, maybe, about two hours, which is honestly quite impressive for him. _Might as well get a start to the day,_ he thinks as he gets out of bed. 

He decides to run around the outside of the compound. Steve loves all physical training, whether it's sparring with the team or completing obstacle courses. But there's something about running that is so freeing for him. Maybe it's that no one can stop him. Maybe it's because it gives him time to be in his own thoughts. Or maybe it's just that it's satisfying to be able to run after so many years with asthma and not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling out of breath. 

Steve is suddenly pulled out of his own thoughts during his second lap when he hears footsteps coming up on his left. 

"Up for a running partner, Captain?" 

Steve looks over and see's Peter's cheeky smile. He's shocked to see him here, as the sun has barely started to rise, and teenagers are known for sleeping in on the weekends. 

"I could use a partner, kid. What's got you up so early?" Steve and Peter slow down to a pace to converse and run at the same time. 

Peter hesitates. "You know… stuff." He shrugs. 

Steve doesn't want to pry, but he knows that Tony would want to know whatever has got his kid up at this hour voluntarily. 

"You sure about that?" 

"I don't know… I guess running helps to get my mind off of things, you know? I'm sure you know." Peter looks forward again and keeps running. A comfortable silence falls on them for a couple of minutes before Peter breaks the silence. 

"You know… I'm a good listener. If you ever need to talk. Obviously, there's a reason that we are both up at this hour voluntarily running. We don't have to get in the specifics, but I—I struggle with nightmares and stuff like that. I'm sure Mr. Stark told you about the Vulture incident."

Tony had told Steve about the Vulture, and boy, was he surprised by it. Honestly, it would worry him if Peter didn't have any issues about that. Having a building dropped on you would do that to you. 

"I know it's not the same thing as going off to war and crashing a plane and waking up seventy years later, but… We've both been through stuff. And when you've been through stuff, you talk to friends about it," Peter said matter-of-factly. 

Steve nodded. "You're right, we do talk to friends. I guess I have just been lonely with the place being so empty this week. I didn't think it would have this much of an impact on me, but it has. It makes me feel like I did before the war when I had no one but Bucky." 

Peter slowed to a stop, looking Steve in the eyes. "Things are different from then, though. The Avengers are a family. Your family. Don't forget that." They both headed inside now, set on eating breakfast to nurse their growing appetites. 

Steve smiled. Things would the tough sometimes, but that is something that he could never forget. The Avengers were his family. And he knew that Peter Parker wouldn't let him forget it, either. 


	2. Wanda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta read so piz forgive me if there are mistakes! enjoy :)

Wanda had been doing a lot of reflecting lately.

It wasn’t necessarily bad reflecting. But the more she thought about it, the more she missed her childhood. Or really, the lack off.

Most of the Avengers know that she had a tough upbringing. Having lost her parents at such a young age and being on her own with Pietro was a rough time, to put it lightly. Then the whole deal with HYDRA happened and getting her powers, Sokovia, losing Pietro, and moving into the Avengers compound with the rest of the team. She had to grow up and mature so much sooner than others did.

But then Peter Parker came along.

She’s not gonna lie, she was a little apprehensive when Stark introduced him to the rest of the team. _He is just so young_ , she thought. The second thought came later.

_He reminds me of Pietro._

All Peter wanted to do was help people or “look out for the little guy,” as he called it. Steve had filled her in on all the Vulture stuff, and she was honestly impressed. And, silly enough, oddly protective. Anytime the team went on missions and Stark allowed Peter to tag along, she always put his safety first.

Truly, she wanted him to have the future that Pietro didn’t have. And she would be dammed if something happened to him.

So here she was, on a random Saturday night, sitting in her room, trying to make herself busy. _Maybe she could go down to the training room and work on some mind techniques_ , she thought. No, that would be saved for later in the week. What did people her age do on a Saturday night? Normal young adults would go out and have a good time, go see a movie, go to bar. But she wasn’t a normal young adult, and she never would be. She was pulled out of her thoughts with a knock on the door.

“Wanda? What are you doing all alone?” Peter leaned up against the door frame.

She smiled, trying to play off that she was so deep in thought seconds ago. “I could ask you the same thing, little spider.” She winked.

Peter chuckled. “Well, it was supposed to be a weekend spent entirely in the lab with Mr. Stark, but he got pulled into a conference call that will be lasting a while, it seems. Want to do something?”

Wanda raised her eyebrows in question and sat up straighter on her bed. “Well, what did you have in mind?”

Peter came further into her bedroom and closed the door. Lowering his voice, he went on. “Well, um, there’s this party? It’s not too far from here. One of my friends from my Academic Decathlon team is having it at their camp house. You wanna go? And before you ask, May said that I could go and so did Mister Stark. I just didn’t want to bail on him for a lab weekend, you know.” He smiled nervously.

Wanda sighed. “I don’t know if that’s the best idea, Peter. What will they think of me? I don’t wanna draw any attention.” She laid back on her bed and really thought about the prospect of going to the party.

“It’ll be fun. Ned and MJ will be there, and I doubt there will be any drinking.” He paused. “You’ve never been to a party, have you, Wanda?” He questioned.

Wanda looked at Peter. “I haven’t, no. I guess that’s what happens when you voluntarily give yourself to HYDRA for experimentation after your parents are killed in a bombing.”

Peter’s face goes white, and Wanda immediately regrets her words. “I’m sorry, Peter. It’s just hard to do normal things like go to a party when you’ve been what I’ve been through.” She pauses and looks out the window contemplating what her next words should be. “It’s almost like… I don’t think I deserve it, you know? I did some bad things before the team picked me up, and I’m not proud of it.”

Peter scoffed. “You can’t be serious, Wanda.” She looked at him, puzzled and confused, and he continued.

“We’ve all done things that we wish we wouldn’t have done. Did you know that my Uncle Ben died after I got my powers? There was this guy robbing a convenience store, and I was too lazy to stop him. My Uncle Ben tried to stop him after that, and he was shot and killed.”

“Peter, I’m so sorry, I—Wanda interrupted.

Peter stopped her. “No, just listen for a second, okay? I didn’t stop him, and Ben was killed. And I beat myself up so much over that. But then I picked myself up, and I did what was right. I wanted to become a hero.” Peter stopped himself and made sure to look at Wanda right in the eyes.

“You see, our past is important. But what’s important is what we do with our past. What we do with our trauma and what we have been through. And sure, you did some things that you shouldn’t have done. But you didn’t know. And you changed, and you’re part of the _freaking Avenger’s now,_ Wanda. I mean, don’t tell Mister Stark I admitted this, but you’re the strongest Avenger. And most importantly, you’re using your powers for good.”

Wanda laughed at the strongest Avenger comment. In this moment, she could see so much of Pietro in Peter that it almost brought her to tears.

Peter stands up. “You know what? I’m not feeling the party so much anymore. Have you ever seen _The Incredibles_?”

Wanda shook her head.

“Oh my gosh, you have to watch it. It’s about superheroes! It came out when I was really young.” Peter suddenly paused, looking like a lightbulb was just eliminated above his head.

“I have an idea. We’ll work your way up to parties. We need to catch you up on everything you missed in your childhood. There’s movies and TV shows and music and all sorts of things. I _can’t wait_ to make you watch _Glee._ It’s practically a rite of passage, to be honest. I’m going to go pop some popcorn and meet you back in here. Is that okay?” Peter’s enthusiasm was almost contagious.

“Yes, of course Peter. I’ll be waiting.” Wanda made herself comfortable on her bed.

She couldn’t change her past or all that she had done that she regrets. But she could take that regret and turn it into something great to become the hero that she always wanted to be, just like Peter Parker. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated!! follow me on Tumblr, crimefightingironspider :)


	3. Natasha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta read so please forgive me for any mistakes!!

Natasha knew that her circumstances had impacted how she develops friendships with the people around her. When she was forced to undergo training in the Red Room, it kind of messed her up psychologically. Worst of all, she learned not to trust anyone. That was the first rule when becoming a spy.

When it came down to it, she had a lot of pride. Pride in herself and her abilities. She never wanted to be proven wrong or belittled when she has to skill to beat out anyone. But through her time in the Avengers, she had begun to ease up. She’s not gonna lie, it wasn’t easy. Being trained to always be paranoid by those around her put many strains on her relationship with the team. Steve was the one that started to break the walls down around her.

But it was Peter Parker, Spider-man, who ultimately made all of her walls fall down.

That kid, Tony’s kid, was like a ray of light. She was convinced that if everyone in the world was like Peter Parker, the world would be a better place. He brightened up every room that he walked in. In every mission, he gave one hundred and ten percent. Funny enough, he also had a knack for the whole self-sacrificing gimmick that Tony also seems to have. To this day, she’s not sure if he picked that up from Tony or just developed it on his own.

Most important of all, he made the team better. They seemed to get along much better when Peter was around, as if he is the binding piece that keeps the team together. Much to Peter’s dismay, though, the team had become extremely protective of him. Including Natasha. It was as if she had some sort of maternal instinct over the kid that she had never experienced before.

So that’s why she was here, on a Friday afternoon, leaning against the outside of her car in front of Midtown Tech to pick Peter up from school and take him to the compound upstate this weekend. Happy was originally going to have to pick him up, but with Natasha already being in the city, she happily volunteered. Knowing that Peter didn’t know that she would be the one picking him up, she was excited to see his reaction.

It was five minutes after the bell rang, and she knew that he would be out any second. Just as she was about to get out her phone to text and make sure he was okay, he walked out the door with this friend (she thinks is named Ned?), and immediately catches her eye. She can see the excitement in his eyes, but it is quickly erased by a boy cutting Peter and Ned off, stopping them in their tracks.

Natasha furrowed her eyebrows, trying to see what was going to come from the interaction. The boy seemed to be taunting Peter, and then he proceeded to knock his books out of his hands and kick the books down the steps.

Should she do something? She weighed the options. If something happened to the kid on her watch, Tony would have her neck. But, at the same time, she wanted to give him space and give him a chance to tell her what had actually happened before she made assumptions. Watching Peter grab his books from the ground and say goodbye to Ned, Natasha headed to the other side of the car to get in and wait for Peter. She heard the car door open, and before she could get a word out, Peter’s cheerful voice filled the air.

“I didn’t know you were picking me up today, Nat! Wait, is there a mission?” Peter asked worriedly.

Nat chuckled at the teenager. “No mission, Peter. I was in the city and thought I could save Happy the trouble of driving all the way to the compound.” She took note of his mood. The boy didn’t seem bothered by the interaction that happened on the front steps of the school in the slightest.

Peter exhaled a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. I stayed up super late finishing an English paper, and that makes me slower in combat.” Natasha laughed at the comment, knowing that the change in Peter’s abilities from no sleep would probably only be noticeable to him. Then, a good idea struck her.

“Well, it’s the weekend, isn’t it? You up for a little treat?” She smirked at Peter.

Peter scoffed. “Uh, always.”

Natasha laughed and pulled out onto the freeway, heading to their next destination.

*****

Twenty minutes later, Natasha was watching Peter stuff his face with food at one of their favorite diners. She had never seen someone eat as much as he did since Steve, and she still found it entertaining to this day. Today, though, she was trying to figure out how exactly to bring up what she saw happen at the school today. She sighed, deciding on trying to coax it out of the teenager.

“So… anything exciting happen at school today?”

“Um—I don’t think so? MJ told me about this book that she started reading at lunch today, and it intrigued me and freaked me out at the same time.” Peter shrugged.

Okay, that’s not the answer that she wanted. Being the impatient and pushy person that she is, she decided to cut to the chase.

“Peter. I saw what happened after school today on the steps.” Peter stopped eating and looked up at Natasha and shrugged once again. “It’s no big deal.” Then, he went back to eating.

Nope, Natasha was not going to let this slide. “Peter, he hit your books out of your hand and kicked them away. And I could tell that he was probably saying some not so nice stuff to you and your friend.” She paused, trying to choose her next words wisely. “Why didn’t you defend yourself?”

Peter looked out the window for a couple of seconds, then back at Natasha. “You really wanna know?” She nodded.

Peter looked down at his lap, fidgeting with his hands. “I don’t know, I guess I just don’t think it’s worth it, you know? He’s always giving me shit about not having an actual internship with Mr. Stark because he thinks it’s not real, which—I mean—technically it isn’t, but I can’t just tell him that I’m Spider-man. He got mad because I wasn’t reacting to what he was saying, so he pushed my books out of my hands. I promise, it’s really not a big deal.”

“You still didn’t answer my question though, Peter. Why don’t you talk back to him? I mean, I get why you can’t physically fight him back, but you can still use your words.”

Sighing, Peter continued. “I could defend myself, but I don’t feel the need to. My truth is my truth. I don’t have to tell him that I hang out with the Avengers every weekend to feel better about myself. I have people that care about me, like May, Ned, MJ, and the rest of the team. I guess… I just want to be the bigger person, you know? I don’t want my pride to get the best of me and think that I have to brag about things that I should be thankful for.” Peter then went back to eating his food.

“You know, you’re one of the wisest people that I’ve ever met. And you’re sixteen.”

“Uh, thanks. I guess?”

Natasha smiled and went back to eating her food. Once again, Peter Parker was teaching her another lesson that she didn’t know that she needed. “Eat up, kid. You need to be prepared when I wipe the floor with you in training later.

Peter scoffed. “Oh, you’re _so_ on.”

Natasha made a mental note. _Don’t let your pride get the best of you._ She didn’t think she would forget those words from Peter for a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated! follow me on Tumblr, crimefightingironspider


	4. Bucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this should have been posted during the weekend, but I am a full time college student and my mental health is shit right now. also I feel like this sucks and it is not beta read so please forgive any mistakes! happy reading :)

Bucky had experienced a weird year, to say the least

Going from The Winter Soldier to suddenly living back in Brooklyn was a huge change for him. With the Accords resolved and Bucky being on (somewhat) speaking terms with Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers, he was finally getting the chance to move on with this life. He was lost when it came to technology, and obviously, Steve was little to no help when it came to that department. 

He felt lost, in terms of being a real member of the team. He had been on a few missions with the team, but it took time to earn the trust of everyone, which he understood. Things with Tony and Colonel Rhodes had been tense for a while, but eventually, Steve was able to talk them into letting him train with the team and accompany them on missions. With a lot of the team, it was strictly work business, except for one person.

The person was Peter Parker. The Spider-kid, as he called him. A teenager. 

His friendship with Peter was… strange, to say the least. When he first reconciled with Tony, he had been told to "stay away from his kid." So that's what he did. Until the kid started coming to him. 

It started out simple. Peter would join him and Sam in training, where Peter never failed to bring up how he was able to stop Bucky's metal arm in Germany. Sometimes the chattering from the teenager got to be a little too much, but most of the time, he really enjoyed it. The kid kept him on his toes and kept him laughing. 

The first time Tony caught Peter training with them, he was not happy. Bucky remembered Tony calling Peter out of the room and speaking with him in the hallway. He could hear them arguing over something, and the argument ended in Peter coming back into the training room, continuing as if nothing had even happened. 

After that, Tony was more accepting. Bucky could tell that he would get agitated when he would catch the kid hanging out with him, whether they were just sparring or watching a movie. Over a few months, Tony had even started initiating conversations with Bucky, and he was pretty sure that he had Peter to thank for that. 

Peter had been trying to get Bucky "cultured in today's society," as he called it, which led them to do several activities. They ranged from watching certain movies and TV shows, learning about meme culture (which, he had to admit, was pretty funny), and learning all the new dances from an app called Tik Tok that Peter and his friends were obsessed with. Today, though, they were just hanging out at the tower and playing the Wii, which Bucky very much enjoyed. 

The pair were in the middle of an intense race of Mario Cart when Tony walked out of the elevator and into the common room. 

"What's up Peter, Bucky? Another round of Mario Cart?"

Peter, intently focused on the screen, shook his head. "Not now Mister Stark, I have a race to win!" 

Tony shook his head and looked at Bucky. "Mind letting him know that I talked to May, and he's going to eat dinner here tonight? Don't want to _disturb that concentration_ ," Tony said in a condescending tone.

_"I heard that,"_ Peter mumbled while turning his attention back to the screen. 

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell him." 

"Great. Maybe try to beat him in a race? It'll hurt his ego and humble him a bit. Everyone needs that once in a while." Tony chuckled, looking over at the teenager and then back at Bucky. "I'll be down in the lab working on something with Bruce if you both need anything." 

"Thanks, Tony." He watched the man walk towards the private elevator that goes to his lab and went back to playing the game with Peter. They continued the game for about twenty minutes before they both decide to take a break and put on a movie. Bucky began thinking about how things had changed so much over the past few months with not only the team but with Tony as well. His curiosity got the best of him, and he finally got the nerve to ask him what he wanted to know. 

"Hey, Peter. Can I ask you a question?"

Peter leaned back on the couch. "Yeah, of course." 

"What changed? With Tony, I mean. I know you weren't supposed to be hanging out with me, but you did. And then you got yelled at, but somehow after that, you were still able to hang out with me and got the rest of the team to do so too. Tony's whole attitude changed when it came to me."

"Are you asking if I had anything to do with it?" Peter asked. 

"I mean… Yeah, I guess." Bucky shrugged. 

Peter sighed, looking at Bucky. "Mr. Stark is… really stubborn. And trust me, I get why he was mad. But I just needed him to understand." He paused for a moment. 

"Understand what?"

"That it wasn't your fault. Like they said, you were brainwashed. And still, he was upset. Then I asked him how bad he would feel if he were in your shoes. How he would feel if he did that to my parents or May and Ben, and how badly it would feel. And how I wouldn't hold it against him because I know that it isn't him. It would be HYDRA. And that's how it is with you. You understand what I'm saying?" 

Bucky smiled. "Yeah, kid. But you didn't have to do that for me, you know." 

"I did, though. Bucky, you're part of the team. You deserved to be treated as such. And, not to mention, you are a really great friend. I just helped Mister Stark see that more clearly." He paused, looking at Bucky once more. "You belong here, Bucky." 

"Thanks, Peter. You're a great friend too." 

Bucky would try to put his past behind him because the team needed him. Peter needed him. And for the first time in a long time, Bucky felt like he belonged. 


	5. Tony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is short and sweet and not beta read so please forgive any mistakes! happy reading! :)

Peter Parker is a shining light in Tony's life.

Truly, to this day, Tony doesn't know where he would be without his kid. And the rest of the team seem to agree with him. It was hard at first, sharing him with the rest of the Avengers. Rhodey and Bruce were easy, but it took some pull to get him to warm up to the idea of Peter interacting with the former rogues. He knew that he was being stupid about it, but he was just so damn protective of the kid.

And it was Peter that made Tony realize that he was ready to be a father.

Learning that Pepper was pregnant was shocking, to say the least. He remembers clearly the day that he told Peter, how excited the kid was for him and how he couldn't stop asking all types of questions.

That was months ago, and now Pepper was just weeks away from her due date. The anxiety of what was to come was in full swing. The nursery was ready and had been ready for months and the birthing plan was finalized. Now, all they had to do was wait.

I was the waiting that was getting to Tony. All he wanted to do was think about his wife and his baby girl, but the only thing on his mind was Howard. The man that never told him that he loved him. The man that was incapable of showing any emotion towards his son other than anger. These thoughts kept invading Tony's mind, with the following thought.

_What if I turn out just like my father?_

He couldn't. He couldn't do that to Morgan or to Pepper.

Tony was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of the lab door opening, signaling that Peter had arrived. He knew that the kid was excited to be at the compound for the weekend because this would probably be the last weekend for a while that he had Tony all to himself.

"Hey, Mr. Stark! I thought we could work on my webbing today. I think I've come up with a new formula that takes longer to dissolve, but we have to see how it reacts with the web-shooters and the web combinations. What do you think?" Peter pulled a stool up beside Tony and started to get his web-shooters out of his backpack.

Tony nodded. "Sounds good kid, let's get to work."

Tony didn't know how long it had been when Peter began to speak.

"Um, are you okay, Mr. Stark? Did I do something? Because you're being really quiet and all, and if you don't feel like having a lab day today, that's totally fine, I-uh-understand. I can see if Ned wants to do anything this weekend instead."

Tony looked up at the kid, noticing that Peter was fidgeting with his hands, and sighed. "No, of course not. I want you here, kid. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." He wanted to leave it at that. He wanted Peter to leave it at that, but he knew that there was no way he was getting off the hook with that one.

Peter shrugged. "I'm a good listener, you know. And I'm wise beyond my years," he said with a cheeky smile.

_This kid_ , Tony thought.

Tony turned to face Peter. "I've been thinking a lot. About Morgan making her arrival, about her growing up. I know I've told you about my father before, how cold he was and how he wasn't around. I guess I'm just scared that I'm going to end up just like Howard. I don't want to screw up with Morgan." He stopped, running his hands through his hair.

"Well, you haven't screwed up with me," Peter said matter-of-factly. Realizing what he just said, his face flushed. "I mean—sorry, it's just… I don't want to make things weird, but in all honesty, you're the closest thing that I've got to a dad. And the things you've taught me, the lessons that I've learned from you, I'm going to carry those for the rest of my life. I never feel coldness from you, and you never bail on me. Mr. Stark, I'm not even your actual kid. But you have so much love that you give to everyone around you, including me. You're gonna do the same with Morgan, no doubt." He stopped talking for a moment, looking at Tony right in the eyes.

"You're going to be the best dad ever because you already are, Tony."

_Tony_

At that moment, he was almost brought to tears. "I see you as a son too, kid. And you know I love you like one."

Peter nodded. "I know. And you didn't even have to tell me that for me to know. That's how I know that you're going to be an amazing dad."

Tony pulled Peter into a hug, knowing that he always had someone in his corner to reassure him on bad days.

_I'll be a great dad because I already am one._

And Peter wouldn't ever let him forget it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry this took so long! life has been crazy as so many of you know, and I recently had to move back home because my school has moved to completely online. i hope that everyone is staying safe during these scary times!! hope you have a great night/day wherever you are :)


	6. +1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta read so excuse any mistakes <3

From a young age, the concept of family was a strange thing to Peter Parker.

He didn’t remember much from his parents. He couldn’t remember their faces or their voices. Worst of all he didn’t _feel_ anything when looking at pictures of them. Sure, he missed them. But he didn’t get that gut-wrenching feeling of loss that came with just thinking of his Uncle Ben. Did that make him a bad person? Maybe.

Part of the ache was that Ben was his last blood relative. 

He would never diminish what May has done for him, ever. The fact that she still cares for him and loves him so fiercely when she’s not even _technically_ related to him just shows how much of an amazing woman she is.

There’s just something so sad about the fact that Peter is the last one. He’s the last _true_ Parker.

He knows he shouldn’t be thinking like this because it only sends him into a spiral. But it was hard not to when he considered what today was.

It was the anniversary of Ben’s death.

Thankfully, May gave him the day off of school. He was free to sulk all he wanted to, and even considered staying in bed all day. Knowing that it would send him into an even deeper spiral, he decided against it.

So here he was, on a gloomy day, sitting at Ben’s grave. He had been sitting here for around two hours, not sure what to do.

_Should I talk to him? People do it all the time in movies and books. No. That would be weird… right?_

Peter was pulled out of his thoughts from a voice that he instantly recognized.

“Thought I’d find you here.”

He turned around to see Mr. Stark standing behind him in his usual jeans, graphic tee, and blazer. Peter turned back around, sighing, as Mr. Stark sat beside him.

“Did May call you?”

Tony chuckled slightly. “She didn’t, actually. I just thought you could use some company. I waited long enough to give you space today, but I didn’t want you being alone for too long.”

“I am alone, though.” The words came out before Peter knew what he was saying.

Mr. Stark turned his head, looking at Peter quizzically. “Care to elaborate on that statement?”

Peter sighed, looking back at Ben’s grave. “I’m the last Parker. God, it sounds so stupid out loud, but I can’t stop thinking about it. I look at Ned, who has this huge family, and I get so jealous, and I don’t even know why. I’ll never have that. Ben was the last one, and—I don’t know—it just sucks.”

A long pause passed between the two before Mr. Stark broke the silence.

“Okay, I know you’re upset, but I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that.”

Peter turned his head to look at Mr. Stark, confused as to what point he was getting at.

“Kid, I know you’ve heard this a million times, but family isn’t blood. I mean, look at my life. My dad, he was really shitty. Jarvis and his wife were more of a family to me than him. And Rhodey, he’s my brother. He may not look like it, but I promise you, he is.”

He paused looking at Peter intently.

“Pete, look at the Avengers. Steve and Bucky have no one left. Neither does Wanda. And when it comes to Natasha, I honestly don’t know. Russian spy and all that.”

That earned a chuckle out of Peter.

Tony continued. “I need you to know Peter. You are never alone. May loves you. The team loves you. Even Happy loves you. And you know I do.”

Peter looked up, eyes glistening at Mr. Stark’s words.

“All of us, the whole team, we didn’t have any family left. So, we found a family in each other. If you think about it, that can be something even more special than blood. Because we chose each other. And we chose you. We love you, kid.”

Before Peter could stop himself, he was throwing his arms around Mr. Stark, crying into his shoulder.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Stark.” His voice cracked, and he felt himself dissolving into a puddle of tears.

Mr. Stark held him tight, shaking his head. “Nothing to be sorry for, kid. You’re allowed to be upset.”

They stayed like that for a while, Mr. Stark letting Peter collect himself. 

Peter pulled away, looking at Mr. Stark. “You would have really liked him. Ben. You have the same sense of humor.” Peter shrugged, feeling small after his little breakdown.

Mr. Stark grinned. “Oh, I’m sure we would have been best buds. You wouldn’t have been able to get enough of the dad jokes that I would have shared with him.” Mr. Stark winked at him, chuckling slightly.

Peter rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha,” he deadpanned.

Mr. Stark clapped Peter on the back and helped him up to his feet. He looked around smugly, then back at Peter.

“Now, I believe we have somewhere to be.”

Peter stopped, looking at Mr. Stark with a worried glance. “Huh?”

They began walking towards Mr. Stark’s car when he began explaining.

“Well, I was going to let it be a surprise, but I might as well tell you. Back at the tower, the team is waiting for you with Star Wars queued up, your favorite pizza, and your favorite ice cream.”

Peter turned, taken back. “What? Why?”

Shrugging, Mr. Stark smiled. “Like I said, kid. Your family cares about you. They all knew that today was going to be tough, and they wanted to be there for you. It was Natasha’s idea to order pizza, then Wanda suggested the ice cream, and Bucky and Steve came up with the Star Wars marathon. Rhodey, Sam, and Bruce are planning to swing by, too.”

Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All of that planning? For _him_?

The pair got in the car, and Peter couldn’t hide his smile. Tony turned up the music, turning to Peter.

“You ready?’

Peter nodded. “Yeah. I am.”

***

Arriving at the Tower, Peter felt hopeful for the first time in a long time. He felt _loved._ The team rallied around him, determined to cheer him up and be there for him. It was a fun, laughter filled night that consisted of his favorite food, dessert, _and_ movies.

The night was winding down, with most of the team asleep on the various couches, having fallen asleep halfway through Empire Strikes Back. Peter decided to get up and head to the kitchen to get something to drink when a shadow startled him. It was Wanda, sitting at the bar swiping through pictures on her phone.

“Oh, Peter! I was taking pictures throughout the night. Come check them out, some of them are hilarious.”

Peter nodded, heading over to Wanda as she handed him her phone. He had to agree with her, the pictures were pretty funny. Some consisted of selfies with random members of the team, others of the team’s expressions when they were in a heated argument on whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza (which Peter fought that it totally does).

He couldn’t get the smile off of his face looking through pictures of the team.

_Of his family._

Peter looked over at Wanda, smiling. “Thank you. For everything.”

She smiled back and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in reassurance. “Of course, Peter. This is what family is for, right?”

Peter looked at the living room at the sleeping team _, no, family,_ and back at Wanda.

“Yeah, it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is loooooong overdue! i want to thank everyone that sent their condolences and reached out to me about the passing of my dog. i appreciate you SO much. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I pray that all of you are staying safe during this scary time. I'm always open to prompts and to chat! you can find me at crimefightingironspider on Tumblr and spideyssabrina on twitter. much love to all of you and happy reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated!! follow me on Tumblr: crimefightingironspider


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